1
as in to disband
to cease to exist or cause to cease to exist as a group or organization
the band broke up when their arguments over money grew too stressful
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2
as in to stop
to come to an end
the meeting broke up when all the business for the day had been completed
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3
as in to divide
to set or force apart
he broke up the rocks in the old stone wall with a crowbar, sending them tumbling to the ground
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4
as in to crack
to yield to mental or emotional stress
the sort of person who would be among the first to break up in a prisoner of war camp
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5
as in to cease
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
police arrived at the scene and immediately broke up the fracas
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6
as in to disrupt
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly
break up the feta cheese and spread it over the salad
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7
as in to laugh
to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound
if you break up during the skit, the audience will know that you're in on the joke
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as in split
the act or process of a whole separating into two or more parts or pieces
the breakup of the Soviet Union and the collapse of communism pretty much signaled the end of the Cold War
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of break up
Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Dec. 2024
After Keoghan had a son with his now ex-partner Alyson Sandro in August 2022, the pair broke up the following summer.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 7 Dec. 2024
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 5 Dec. 2024
There are the classics: The deaths, the cliffhangers, the breakups, etc.
—EW.com, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for break up 
Verb
Using a dull knife or the edge of a credit card, gently scrape to break up the wax, then vacuum up the pieces.
—Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Dec. 2024
After Keoghan had a son with his now ex-partner Alyson Sandro in August 2022, the pair broke up the following summer.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 7 Dec. 2024
Noun
Yes, Barry Keoghan and his breakup with Sabrina Carpenter.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 5 Dec. 2024
There are the classics: The deaths, the cliffhangers, the breakups, etc.
—EW.com, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
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The anti-regime coalition is now disbanding Assad’s military, laying out its vision for a post-Assad Syria.Rob Picheta, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
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Two police units known for their heavy-handed tactics were disbanded after the DOJ launched its probe.Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Some Broad Ripple Starbucks lovers woke up to a surprise Thursday morning while stopping to grab a cup of Joe.Alysa Guffey, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Dec. 2024
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Prisons were uniquely bad for spreading the virus and some inmates were released in part to stop the spread.Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports, arkansasonline.com, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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And the House Democratic caucus has been divided over whether to touch the minimum wage and paid sick leave laws.Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 14 Dec. 2024
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And the Crime Stoppers reward could be divided among dozens of tips that the police say were helpful in the investigation.Ben Brachfeld, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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And one of two of our parents knows exactly how to crack open that wound.Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 9 Dec. 2024
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If not, there will be another opportunity to crack the puzzle on Monday.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The technical psychiatry and neurobiology of later times necessarily lacked Valéry’s poetry, and the poets themselves could never make good on his scientism without ceasing to write poetry.Benjamin Kunkel, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
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Last week, a panel of three judges upheld the law's constitutionality, leaving TikTok and ByteDance warning that the app could cease operations in the U.S. as soon as Jan. 19, 2025, if the decision stands.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Pearson, 28, became an effective multi-inning reliever after getting traded from Toronto (2.73 ERA in 19 appearances), and the Cubs probably won’t want to disrupt that momentum.Sahadev Sharma, The Athletic, 17 Dec. 2024
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Shiite militias from Iraq and Syria launched rockets and drones to disrupt Israel’s advanced air defense systems, but these efforts posed no significant threat to them.Amos Yadlin, Foreign Affairs, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
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What’s more, learning is pretty easy when you’re either awestruck or laughing.Rebecca Coffey, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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Witnesses told police that after doing so, Wallen allegedly laughed.Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
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He is also set to star in Bring Them Down as well Hurry Up Tomorrow opposite Jenna Ortega. Carpenter, who has not commented on the split, is ending her busy year with Netflix’s A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter.Toria Sheffield, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024
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The case occurred around the same time that Allen's affair with Soon-Yi came to light, which led to Farrow's messy split from the actor.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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